School registration has always been an issue in Gauteng, minister says

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga has poured cold water on claims that registration problems in Gauteng came with the online admissions system.

More than 1,000 pupils in Gauteng have not been placed yet for the 2023 academic year. Many pupils were not placed at schools within walking distance of their homes.

Speaking to media during her visit to Cosmo City Primary School in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Motshekga said placement challenges in Gauteng had always been a problem. 

She said the online admissions system helped to identify schools facing the problem.

“I know the problem of admissions; it didn’t come with the online applications. Even when I was the MEC [of education in Gauteng] we used to have problems in placing children,” Motshekga said.

“What was worse, there was no ICT [information and communications technology] programme to tell us where were the spaces and learners. I used to work on hearsay. So this online system helps us to really have a clear system for admissions,” said Motshekga.

Education MEC Matome Chiloane pleaded with parents and organisations not to disrupt the placement of pupils and opening of schools. 

EFF members protested outside Laerskool Danie Malan in Pretoria North after authorities failed to place a number of pupils at the school for the 2023 academic year. They accused the school of racism and failing to find a permanent solution to the problem.

Chiloane said the department had asked law-enforcement agencies to assist. 

“You are disrupting an opportunity for work to be done. We are appealing to the civil organisations to allow us to do our work, don’t just disrupt because you want attention. There are ways that you can find attention without necessarily disrupting our work,” said Chiloane. 

“Even now some political parties have entered the space, saying they are there to defend parents’ rights. If you disrupt other children and parents, then you are violating those very same rights that you claim you are defending.”

He said instead of fighting, political parties should help the department. 

“There are areas where this has tended to become racial. It can't be that in 2023 we are dealing with racism.”  

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